Locomotive stoker



Marh 17,1931.

N. M. LOWER I 1,796,850

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER I Filed Sept. 30, 192 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR mwmmwwr March 17, 1931. N. M. LOWER 1,796,850

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Sept. 30, 192 3 Shee ts-Sheet I 2 INVENTOR wad/12mm? N. M. LOWER March 17, 1931.

bOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Sept 30, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR y rflmjawef' 5 MVC? Patented Mar. 17, 1931 i STATES PATENT OFFICE NATHAN M. LOWER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE STANDARD STOKER COM RATION OF DELAWARE PANY INC., 0]? NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPO- LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Application filed September 30, 1926. Serial No. 138,676.

This invention relates to improvements in stokers of the general type of that forming the subject of Letters Patent No. 1,371,252 of March 15, 1921- to Nathan M. Lower.

Some of the objects of the invention are the simplifying of the structure and its assembly and repair, and to increase the durability of the stoker.

A practical embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described and is disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a detail, vertical, longitudinal section ofthe rear portion of a locomotive, the stoker being shown partly in elevation and partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section thru the cab of the locomotive, looking forward, the stoker being shown in elevation with some parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view of one of the elevators of the stoker, bow and screw driving mechanism associated therewith.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the delivery elbow and steam nipple, the rearward portion of the elbow being indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 5 is an detached, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to steam nipple removed.

There is indicated at 10 one of the frame members of the loEwmotive; at 11, its backhead; at 12, its grate; at 13, cab deck or floor; and at 14, the firemans seat, all of these parts being of any preferred construction.

The stoker comprises the usual transfer conduit 15 leading forwardly from below the floor of the tender and the deck of the cab where it delivers into a chambered casting l6, commonly called in the trade the hopper. From the hopper, there rises, in the construction shown, a pair of elevator conduits 17 18 within each of which is located a spiral screw 19. At the top of each of the conduits, there is an elbow 20 for delivering the fuel into a distributor tube 21 projecting thru an aperture 22 in the backhead 11. The tube 21 is of ordinary constructionand is provided with a removable elevation of the steam nipple Fig. 4 with the the delivery el- 1n terminating under bottom 23 carrying at its forward end a distributing abutment 24 and a removable overhanging defiector plate 25. The tube is car ried by a hook bolt 26 setting thru an aperture in the upper portion of the elbow 20 and engaging an aperture in the top wall of the tube. The tube is'thus hung from this hook, the lower portion of its rearward end bearing against the lower portion of the elbow.

The casting 16 is provided with a pair of laterally projecting bosses 27 28 within each of which is set a trunnion pin or bolt 29 having bearing in the'brackets 30, 31 securely bolted to the frame of the locomotive, thereby permitting a rocking movement of the casting and the elevator tubes or conduits rising from it. n

The motor for driving the fuel advancing screws of the stoker is shown at 32 and is securely attached to and carried by the cast- Each of the elbows 20 is loosely jointed to the conduit 17 'or 18 with which it is associated as indicated at 33 and is provided at its forward end with an integral flange 34, provided with apertures as 35 for the ac commodation of bolts as 36, by which it is secured to the backhead 11, a spacing ring 37 being interposed between this flange and the backhead. The flange 34 is so configured as to overlap the aperture 22 in all directions and is provided in its lower portion with an opening or port 38 for the admission of air to cool the tube 21.

When in use, the boiler of the locomotive is subject to expansion which is manifested by a rearward movement of the backhead 11, carrying with it the attached portions of the stoker mechanism. The pivotal mounting of the casting 16 permits it to rock under the influence of this expansive movement and the loose joint at 33 permits a sufiicient degree of flexure at this point.

The elevating screws 19 have a stepped bearing upon a boss 39 rising 40 in the bottom of the casting 16, the lower end of the shaft of the screw having a squared socket for receiving the correspondingly shaped end of a shaft 41 journaled in the plate 40 and the bottom wall of the casting.

from a plate housed within t This bottom wall is preferably centrally apertured to give access to the bearing, the aperture being closed by a plate 42. The shaft 41 carries a worm gear 43 meshing with the worm 44 formed upon the crank shaft, not shown, of the motor 32, or an extension thereof.

A transferring screw, not shown, is as usual e transfer conduit and is actuated by means of a jointed shaft 45 driven by a worm wheel, not shown, housed within the gear case 46 and associated with a worm on the engine shaft. The engine being carried by the casting 16, the rocking of the latter has no disturbing effect on the driving connections.

The upper end of each of the screws 19is not provided with a journaled bearing but is free to float within the conduit enclosing it.

As usual in this type of stokers, there is provided a steam nipple adapted to discharge a plurality of jets thru the tube 21 for the purpose of scattering fuel over the grate.

n the present instance, this nipple is in the form of a hollow bar 47 set thru a lateral aperture in the elbow 20 and having at its outer end an apertured lug 48 for the accommodation of a securing bolt 49 set thru a lug 50 formed on the elbow at the side of the named aperture. The nipple 47 is further anchored by means of a stem 51 projecting from its inner end, and which, as

shown, is in the form of a rod screwed into a socket in the nipple, this stem entering a socket in a boss 52 formed on the inner side of the wall of the elbow opposite to the lateral aperture thru which the nipple is inserted. A steam pipe as 53 leads to the chamber of the nipple 47 and the jet openings of the nipple indicated at 54 are formed in a chambered upward extension 55 at the end of the nipple.

As is usual in this type of stoker, each of the elevator conduits as 17, 18 is provided with a removable panel 56 to facilitate the removal of any clogging material. In the present instance, this panel is provided with a laterally extending foot flange 57 covering an aperture in the top wall of the casting 16 thereby permitting access to the base of the screw 19 for the purpose of removing any attaching means which may be employed for securing the shaft of the screw to the shaft 41. At 58 an aperture in the upper end of the latter shaft is shown for the accommodation of an attaching pin.

The construction described not only relieves the stoking mechanism of the strains incident to the expansion of the boiler but simplifies the installation and removal of the parts, particularly those directly associated with the backhead of the boiler; The casting 16 having been duly installed and with it the conduits 17 18, tube 21 is attached to each of the elbows 20 whereupon these associated parts are placed in position, the elbow resting loosely on the upper end of the conduit, and the attaching bolts 36 are inserted. The nipple 47 is introduced thru the lateral aperture in the elbow and is secured in place by the bolt 49 whereupon the steam pipe 53 is attached to it.

The screw 19 is readily removed from the conduit within which it is housed without disturbing the latter, by first detaching the elbow 20.

While a desirable form of construction has been described, it does not measure or limit the scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a stoking mechanism for locomotives in combination, a locomotive having a frame and an apertured boiler backhead, a bracket secured to the frame, a fuel conveyor comprising a. chambered casting pivoted to the bracket and a tube leading upwardly from the chamber of the casting, and an elbow loosely jointed to the tube and rigidly secured to the backhead to deliver to its opening.

2. In a stoking mechanism for locomotives in combination, a locomotive having a frame and an apertured boiler backhead, a bracket secured to the frame, a fuel conveyor comprising a chambered casting pivoted to the bracket and a tube leading upwardly from the chamber of the casting, and an elbow loosely jointed to the tube for delivering to a backhead opening and having an integral flange plate at its delivery end engageable with the backhead, such flange having an air port in its lower portion.

3. A locomotive stoker comprising a fuel conveyor for delivering to an aperture in the locomotive backhead, the delivery section of such conveyor having a lateral aperture, and a steam nipple projecting inwardly through such aperture and having jet openings directed forwardly with reference to the discharge end of the delivery section, and an apertured boss formed on the wall of the named conveyor section opposite its lateral aperture, the nipple having a stem seated in the boss aperture.

4. In a locomotive stoker in combination, a fuel conveyor comprising a chambered cast ing configured to adapt it to be pivotally mounted on a locomotive frame, a pair of 'tubes leading upwardly from the chamber of the casting, and an elbow loosely jointed to the upper end ofieach tube and having means for attachment to the locomotive backhead.

ery elbow attached to the backhead and be ing flexibly connected with the elevating element.

6. The combination with the frame and boiler backhead of a locomotive, of stoker mechanism comprising livering conduit attac ed at its lower end to the frame and at its upper end to the backhead and having a flexlble joint;

7. The combination with the frame and boiler backhead of a locomotive, of stoker mechanism comprising an elevating and delivering tubular element having a flexible joint and being attached at its lower end to the frame and at its upper end to the backhead, such attachment of one of its ends being pivotal. 7 v

8. A riser conduit for a locomotive 'stoker provided with means for pivotal swinging attachment to a support and having an elbow loosely jointed to its upper end and provided with means for attachment to a support.

9. In a'locomotive stoker, in combination, a fuel conveyor provided with an elbow for delivering to a locomotive firebox, such elbow having an aperture in one side and an internal socket at its opposite side horizontally aligned with the aperture, and a steam nozzle removably seated within the aperture and having a stem engaging the socket.

10. In a stoking mechanism for locomotives, in combination, a fuel conveyor for delivering to the firebox of the locomotive and having means for pivotal attachment to the locomotive frame for fore and aft movement, with reference thereto, means within the conveyor for advancing fuel, and a motor carried by the conveyor for driving the advancingmeans. w

11. A stoking device for locomotives including fuel elevatin riser conduit provide adjacent its lower end with means for pivotal swinging attachment to a support and having at its upper end an elbow portion removably jointed thereto, the delivery opening of said elbow being unobstructed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NATHAN M. LOWER.

an elevating and demeans comprising a 

